ROYAL titles have a long and complicated history, with age-old rules dictating who can be addressed as what. Why won’t Princess Beatrice inherit the dukedom from her father Prince Andrew?

Princess Beatrice is currently ninth in line to the British throne. She is the fifth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, and eldest child of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. The Princess has been in the headlines recently due to being forced to cancel her much anticipated wedding because of coronavirus.
Currently, the full address for Princess Beatrice is Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York.
She and her sister Princess Eugenie are different to their cousins Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, whose parents, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, decided not to give Prince and Princess titles.

Why won’t Beatrice inherit the dukedom of York?

According to age-old rules of noble titles, the Princess cannot inherit her father’s dukedom because she is a woman.

Princess Beatrice: Unfortunately the Princess will not inherit her father Prince Andrew’s title (Image: GETTY)

Princess Beatrice: The family have had an awkward time since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal (Image: PA)
Duchess titles are only given to those who marry a Duke, so unless Princess Beatrice does marry a Duke, she will never become Duchess of York like her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
This means that when Prince Andrew dies, the title will revert to the monarch who can choose which of their male children to give it to when they marry.
Ultimately, the Queen has the exclusive right of conferring titles, meaning all ranks must first meet her approval.
This rule explains why Prince Harry was never called the Duke of Sussex before he married Meghan Markle, who remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex despite stepping back from being frontline Royals.

Princess Beatrice: She was due to wed in May but had to cancel due to coronavirus (Image: GETTY)
Duke and Duchess are the highest peerages a Royal can receive – and all married members in the immediate line of succession are currently Dukes.
Princess Beatrice has been dealt an unfortunate hand recently, having been forced to postpone her wedding which was due to take place at the end of May, due to coronavirus.
She was due to marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at St James’s Palace in London in a Church of England ceremony on May 29 – which her Grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of.
The cancellation was announced by her mother, the Duchess of York, in April.
However, when the couple do finally get to walk down the aisle, Princess Beatrice will become a countess – or countessa – in Italy.
Her husband-to-be Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi is an Italian count, although he does not use his title often, making it unlikely that his fiance will take on her new Italian title.
Princess Beatrice will be marrying into one of the oldest families in Italy, as records show Mozzi’s descendants date back to 985D.
What role the Princess’ father Prince Andrew will have in the wedding is a matter of some conjecture.

Princess Beatrice: The young royal will get a new title when she eventually marries (Image: GETTY)
The Prince’s reputation was destroyed after details emerged about his friendship with American paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
After speaking to BBC’s Emily Maitlis late last year, the interview resulted in him being removed from the Sovereign Grant and no longer being allowed to represent the Queen in a royal capacity.
In an interview with Vogue Arabia, the Duchess of York said it had been an “incredibly difficult” time for her and their daughters.
She said: “When I talk about Prince Andrew, I talk about the family because the last six months have been hard on the girls and me.
She stood by her ex husband despite the scandal, saying: “To see such a wonderful man go through such enormous pain.
“He is the best man I know.
“It’s just incredible what he has done for Britain, and it’s all nonsense, so I talk about familyhood, and I’ve been very strong about it.”
Source: EXPRESS CO UK